Why Are so Many Young Males Verbally Disrespectful to Women Over Age 70 that They Pass While Strolling Down the Street?

Why all the fuss about people in Sacramento who carry a dark umbrella against the summer sun for medical reasons? Each time I ride the light rail to downtown to attend my weekly free concert at the senior center, some young man, probably in his early 30s yells from across the crowded train, "Hold on. Don't fall....Don't fall, my dear." But there is no reason to single me out and yell. He's standing at one exit and I'm standing at the other with my finger on the button to open the door as the light rail stops.

His concern may sound compassionate to him. But to me, it makes me feel somehow frail, not old. I am old...but in some way able to walk of my own volition from the light rail to the sidewalk, which I do without hesitation. But why all of a sudden are people singling me out to yell in my ear, "Hold on tight. Don't fall." Each week I ride the bus and the light rail (train) downtown to my weekly free concert filled mostly with other senior ladies who enjoy classical music.

It scares me, the over concern. It's not as if I'm stumbling or losing balance as the train jerks to a stop. Nothing is signaling the need to yell at me as if I can't hear normal voice tones. That's one aspect of being a white-haired lady in the age range of 70 to 80.

The beauty salon once asked me whether I wanted a blue rinse in my white hair. No, thanks. I don't need another radio talk show host addressing me as a "blue-hair." Just let me go home and put the coconut oil on my hair so it will curl. Being old and living in a low-income area for senior citizens, many of whom are in assisted living, brings forth another over-concern: young men shouting, not talking in soft tones, but shouting, "hey it's not raining."

I can't believe their logic isn't telling them that my umbrella is to protect my eyes from the sun's UV rays which contribute to cataracts. And I don't need my face burned by the sun. It's wrinkled enough as it is without more skin damage. So when the temperature is high here in the summer, I carry a small umbrella against the sun to protect me while I wait at bus stops. The bus comes once an hour in my area. And it's hot outside.

Umbrellas for dogs evoke smiles and friendly conversation from passing strangers. Pet umbrellas are listed in Furlong's Pet Supply Online Catalog. But knee-jerk hostility and angry, teasing voices with a glint of ridicule are heardwhen young males catch a passing glimpse of an older woman walking past them, a stranger strolling down the street.

The voicesrise up at the woman, "Hey, Grandma! It's not raining. Halloween is over. Hey witch!"

As a senior citizen while carrying my black umbrella to protect my freckled complexion against the risk ofskin cancer from bright, hot sunlight and strong UV rays, Ifrequently get negative comments from at least two or moreyoung men per week as I walk in the street. Women passing me usually smile and say, "Gee, I wish I thought of that." Outside is a strong California sun. The temperature is 101 degrees F.

Their attitude, tone, and mood have a disdainful hostility because I carry a dark umbrella for protection against the punishing UV rays of the sun. You don't need a dark umbrella for the job.

Any umbrella will protect against UV rays and provide plenty of shade. I use an umbrella because it offers protection from sun-induced migraine, burn of my Scottish complexion, and possible skin cancer lesions.

That's why I use an umbrella when the sun is shining. From women who see me strolling down the street or walking through the supermarket parking lot, I see pleasant smiles and hear a wistful, "Wish I had an umbrella like yours," or: "Why didn't I think of something like that!" Their comments always are positive, and they smile.

From young males, the idea that I carry a black umbrella against the sun elicits rude comments, anger, and words of hostility as I slowly walk down the sidewalk minding my own affairs. For example, one young man screamed from his passing car at me for carrying an umbrella on a sunny day. "Halloween is over," he shouted--gesturing with his thumb up his nose.

Another young man yelled from his passing car as he loudly tooted his horn at the sight of me--a short, thin white-haired lady pushing 70 carrying a dark umbrella on a 101 degree F.sunny day, "It's raining." He repeated this phrase twice as his green car slowed and then sped away. Another man passing me on foot shouted, "It's not raining!" All these strangers were young men. I really need sun protection when on my usual 45-minute daytime walk. Last month I took a train ride to Berkeley, CA and found myself on the long pier to cool off from Sacramento's summer heat. The sun was shining.

The 67-degree temperature felt wonderful, until a man parked in a red car at the shore began to shout with a foreign accent as I passed by, returning from the pier to the public transit bus stop. "It's raining cats and dogs!" He repeated "It's raining cats and dogs" several times growing increasingly louder, until I turned my head and quickly explained to him in a calm voice, "I'm only trying to protect my face against skin cancer by using the umbrella to blot out some of the harmful U.V. rays of the sun."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he replied. I remembered a few years before as I walked along the beach back in San Diego before moving to Northern California that a young, strikingly handsome male on the beach shouted to me, "It's not raining, you know." Why do they tell me something I already know about myself? Is carrying an umbrella as protection against sunburn so bizarre that it deserves or evokes a comment from young males?

Don't these young fellows presumably have the intelligence to know that when an older woman carries a black umbrella on a sunny beach or while walking down the sidewalk or along a pier that the umbrella is there simply to protect her aging skin against UV rays and the effects of sunlight on older skin--namely skin cancer lesions or vascular headaches?

Apparently, something is missing in connection and communication, namely the art of rudeness to older women seeking comfort on a sunny day while strolling for exercise. In each case, I had to explain why I carried the umbrella (because it blocks out some of the sun's UV rays somewhat and shades my face maybe just a little from the possibility of melanoma or other skin cancers).

Then there was the young man passing me along the scenic walk in La Jolla, CA six years ago. "It's not raining!" He said as he passed me. I smiled back and kept on walking. No need to go through the explanation one more time. It just wasn't worth my time. Now I let them shout at the top of their lungs, "Halloween is over. It isn't raining. It's raining cats and dogs."

I listen to their intermittent explosions of hostile comments and smile, nodding, and moving on in the silence of my advanced age. Inside my head I think, is this some kind of war against older women seeking comfort on a stroll? Why are young men from their teens to their thirties so rude? Don't they know it's insulting to shout "It's not raining" to someone carrying an umbrella on a sunny day?

They never would dare shout that line to a man carrying an umbrella. Rude remarks about carrying an umbrella when it's not raining just like the phrase "can you spare a dollar" from panhandlers usually are meted out to older women walking or sitting alone.

You are singled out when you are not walking or sitting with several people. If you're an older woman and alone walking in the street to your lunch appointment, you're a target of someone's anger at older women, perhaps aman's relative. The angry voiceshave been male so far. The females start up a conversation in the street, with, "What a great idea. Wish I thought of that."

Why the anger from young males? It'sjust like predators such as lions that single out an older member of the bison herd for attack. On Christmas, a young, probably homeless or impoverished young man passed me, shouting in my face. "Merry Christmas. Got any change?" Then there was that older, white-haired man in the doorway, loitering, shouting at me as I pass, "Hey, Grandma!"

When younger, the construction workers whistled as I passed on my way to college. Now, obviously looking over age 70, it's both young and old men that don't whistle. They shout, "Hey, old lady! Hi, Grandma." It's the anger in their voice, not the humor or smiles that I feel as a vibration.

It's the tedious, tense tone of their voices, like a madhouse within them shouting in anger at something within themselves, but directed at me because I'm older and doing the unthinkable--carrying an umbrella as protection against the UV sunlight. They don't leap to that conclusion or concept. Instead, I'm berated because it's not raining. It's not Halloween. And I carry a dark umbrella that absorbs the UV sun's rays.

The idea is that an older woman walking alone can't respond without endangering their health. Also, males don't comment when I walk next to a man and carry the umbrella. No one comments when I walk with my husband--only when I walk alone. Can't they figure it out why I carry an umbrella? Don't they know that people with disabilities often carry umbrellas regardless of age?

Why is there a war against women who carry umbrellas? Just as this is happening to older, slow moving women and women with canes, the shouts also go up from young males repeating, "Why are you using a cane? Throw your cane away." So that's it, an attack on people with disabilities. Reminds me of the tiger who waits for an older, weaker antelope to become separated from the herd that is then attacked and devoured. Only I'm using the umbrella to prevent disability. It doesn't have to be raining to use a dark-colored or black umbrella as sun protection when on a long walk.

Wonder why they comment at all at a passing stranger in the street, particularly near the shore? I hear their "It's not raining" shouts when I sit at a bus stop, begin crossing the street when the walk sign comes on, or when they sit in parked cars as I pass by on my usual sidewalk stroll. Seniors have to walk to exercise.

I'm tired of the in-home treadmill, and I need my umbrella on a sunny day. Last week I walked to the mailbox, and only a block from my house, a teenage boy on a bike yells, "Hey, old lady...old lady, it's not raining today." He observes the look on my face. If I smile, he continues on his way. If I frown, he explodes with rage, "Hey, old lady, out of my way."

I've learned to look at gestures, body language, and facial expressions, nod, and give a slight smile, focus my eyes downward and out of courtesy walk away pleasantly. There's nothing pleasant about the way they talked to me when as I walk down the sidewalk or along the curb when there are no sidewalks, minding my own business on my way to my daily errands.

Guys, stop the war. Gals, maybe you can bring back parasols and umbrellas. Asian women carry umbrellas as sun protection. So did the lateMichael Jackson. May his soul be in peace.So do visiting African and some Asiandiplomats and royalty. It's okay to carry an umbrella. You're not offending anyone.

Why does my umbrella offend you enough for you to shout to me that it's not raining or that Halloween is over? Do I look bizarre to you, different, or simply careful and comfortable? It's not eccentric to carry an umbrella when it's not raining. It's healthy. Women, please bring back parasols.

If I brought along an umbrella for my dog, I'd get smiles from everyone. That's the solution. I'll buy an umbrella for my dog. But, wait...I never walk my dog in the bright sunlight of a hot day. The sidewalk pavement would burn my dear little dog's paws. My dog is walked at dusk.

We automatically think the familiar--that umbrellas are only for people? No. Umbrellas as sun protection are for dogs, too.People and dogs can have umbrellas as protection from the sun's rays. Or rain and snow. Put the snow boots on the dogs not used to running in snow.Envy your pet, and keep the sun out of your eyes. Light damages older eyes and contributes to cataracts, and thickened, less light-sensitivelenses,among other ailments.

Why use a dog umbrella? According to Furlong's Pet Supply Online Catalog, "In the wild, dogs were wolves, and wolf fur was enough protection, But man has created many different breeds many of which have little or no protection from the elements including the sun. Dogs can and do get sunburned. Man has created wolves that can get sunburned, but in our defense we also created dog umbrellas and suntan lotion for dogs.

Let's bring back the Victorian parasol and/or the sun-brella. When younger people carry umbrellas against the sun, there might be less rudeness vented on strolling older women--and their dogs. There's a wonderful clothing boutique in Reno, NV called Parasols. There are Victorian-style parasols in the window, mainly as decoration, but the parasols also are sold.

Picture dark umbrellas carried by men, women, and children, and not viewed by young males in the same venue as they view a cane--a type of crutch that older ladies carry. Young men resent black umbrellas in the sun because it reminds them of their own mortality. It's a symbol of the woman over age 60 and everything that reminds them of age. How about age-wise? Umbrellas and parasols are 'in' or they should be. It's up to the consumer to tackle the marketing of sun parasols and umbrellas for dogs and people.